A tribute to Rita Welch, pioneer in senior care

Rita Welch, a pioneer in the nursing home and senior housing field, affected the lives of thousands of South Shore families and improved standards and conditions in facilities across the state. Welch, 93, died Feb. 6 in Duxbury.

DUXBURY -- Rita Welch, a pioneer in the nursing home and continuum of care field for seniors, affected the lives of thousands of South Shore families over the past 60 years. With persistence and patience, she also fought to improve standards and conditions in facilities across the state.

A woman of great warmth and charm, she kept her focus on compassionate treatment of elders while developing new models of residential care, especially for the growing numbers of people with Alzheimer's disease. Welch died Feb. 6 in Duxbury. She was 93.

I was fortunate to meet her early in my career and witness the innovations she and her family members brought to the South Shore. The last time I saw her, in the fall of 2012, she looped her arm through mine and guided me across a crowded room to meet residents and staff from the Village at Duxbury, one of the Welch Healthcare communities.

The occasion was a Welch Healthcare & Retirement Group event at South Shore Country Club in Hingham and although she was 91, her youthfulness prevailed. So strong was the affection in the room for her, it felt a bit like I was accompanying the queen.

I first met her more than 30 years ago when I began writing about issues of aging. I will always be grateful to her for influencing my view of long-term care. She, her family members and employees in Welch Healthcare showed by example how many dedicated people there are in the field.

Rita St. John Welch, one of eight children, often said she was inspired by her mother, Florence St. John, who began caring for the elderly in their Quincy home during the Depression. She and her late husband, Thomas Frank Welch, a high school sweetheart, raised seven children and opened a small rest home, which became the John Scott House, in their large Victorian home in Braintree in 1949. The Colonial Skilled Nursing Home in Weymouth followed in 1963.

Together they designed, developed and administered a network of senior housing communities that brought the concept of a continuum of care to new levels. Their properties included seven skilled nursing homes, four assisted living centers, six Alzheimer's units, three adult day health centers, as well as a home care company. Today the Welch network provides care for more than 3,500 residents.

Four generations -- each of her children and many of her 25 grandchildren and 42 great-grandchildren -- have been involved in the family business. Her son, Richard Welch of Braintree, is president of Welch Healthcare.

Rita Welch was known as a tireless advocate for the elderly. She often said she regarded the residents of her facilities as "part of the family" and trained her staff to do likewise. She spoke about her efforts at the State House in Boston to bring credibility to the industry and gain adequate reimbursement through the state Medicaid program.

Page 2 of 2 - Welch was a founding member and president of the Massachusetts Federation of Nursing Homes; secretary of the American Nursing Home Association and was appointed first Licensing Commissioner for the state.

In 2010, Stonehill College awarded her an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. She was also a Fellow Emeritus of the American College of Nursing Home Administrators.

Her husband passed away in 2005. In 2009, at age 89, she published "Hand in Hand: My Family and My Business," about her life and career. That year was also the 60th anniversary of her company.

There was a large party for her at the Village at Duxbury, and friends and admirers stood in line to offer their congratulations. She appeared tireless, as usual, and gave each person her attention.